Tupac Shakur Facts

Tupac Shakur Facts

Tupac Shakur was an American rap artist and actor who became one of the best-selling music artists of all time after selling over 75 million records. Tupac was born as Lesane Parish Crooks on June 16th, 1971, in East Harlem, NYC, to Afeni Shakur and Billy Garland, members of the Black Panther Party. Tupac began his music career as a rebel with a cause after having grown up in an environment that brought light to many of the injustices African Americans endure. He became involved in the 1990s gangsta-rap scene and was gunned down in Las Vegas on September 7th, 1996. He died six days later as a result of his injuries.

Interesting Tupac Shakur Facts:

Tupac Shakur is also known as just Tupac, or Makaveli.

The name Shakur is derived from the South American Tupac Amaru, a revolutionary.

Tupac was born a month after his mother was acquitted of many charges of conspiracy against the US government and landmarks.

Tupac played Travis Younger in a play at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, when he was 13 years old, to help raise money for Jessie Jackson's presidential campaign. The play was A Raisin in the Sun.

Tupac went to school for the arts in Baltimore and took ballet and also played the Mouse King in the Nutcracker.

When Tupac started rapping in Baltimore he used the name MC New York.

Tupac began his career as a backup dancer for The Digital Underground in 1990.

Tupac auditioned for the role of Bubba in Forrest Gump. He didn't get the part.

Tupac was forced to take an HIV test before filming a love scene with Janet Jackson in the movie Poetic Justice.

Tupac once dated Madonna.

Tupac loved Shakespeare.

Tupac was a fan of Kate Bush, Culture Club, U2, and Sinead O'Connor.

Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. were actually friends before the East Coast/West Coast battle broke out.

Tupac was in jail when his album hit #1 on the Billboard 200. Me Against the World was the album title.

Tupac and Ice T once sang a duet together.

Two of the best-selling albums in the United States are Tupac's work, including Greatest Hits (1998), and All Eyez on Me (1996).

Tupac is considered to be one of the most influential rap artists of all time.

Rolling Stone ranked Tupac in The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time as #86.

Tupac was cremated and some of the members of the Outlawz are believed to have mixed some of his ashes with marijuana and smoked it.

Tupac's song Dear Mama is the 3rd rap song to be entered into the National Recording Registry.

Tupac was once charged with shooting two off duty police officers. Charges were later dropped as the police were in the wrong.

Seven of Tupac's eleven platinum albums were released after his death.

There are many conspiracy theories surrounding Tupac's murder. He was shot after a fight at the MGM Grand hotel by an unknown gunman.